11 May 2016

Volunteers armed with gloves and spades are being called into action for two big planting events this weekend.

On Saturday, May 14 the Halswell Quarry planting day will get underway at 10am and on Sunday, May 15 the Charlesworth Reserve Community Planting and Gala Day will be held in Brookhaven from 10am.

Both events are organised by Christchurch City Council Park Rangers working with community groups and local volunteers. 

Council Regional Parks Operations Manager Kay Holder said rangers would love to see a good turn out from volunteers. "The planting days don't just benefit the environment - they're also a great way of meeting the neighbours and having some fun."

Port Hills Ranger Robbie Hewson, who helps organise the Halswell Quarry planting day, said stream-side or riparian native planting at the Quarry Park was helping to enhance the area.

"We're trying to get people to learn more about the benefits of native plants but the core value of this is for people to get to know other locals and do a good thing for the environment."

The Charlesworth Reserve planting day will establish native trees and shrubs supplied by Trees for Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council's nursery. The reserve is being developed to re-establish vegetation such as salt-meadow, salt-marsh and coastal bush around the estuary-edge, which is an important habitat for wetland birds.

More than 100,000 trees, shrubs and marsh plants have been planted at the site and volunteers play a major role in caring for these as well as establishing further habitat. Support for the project has come from Trees for Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust.

City Council Ranger-led planting events are held regularly at several parks including The Groynes, Halswell Quarry and Port Hills Reserves. Events are promoted on the Council website and autumn is the busiest season for planting.